Spark-arrester.



. E. L; RIDGWAY.

SPARK ARRESTER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 1909 9,444,, Patented Nov. 9, 11909v 13-15 j; JJ

1X; he amen amueuroz ELZIE L. RIDGrWAY, F FRDST, TEXAS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 133, 190-9.

Patented Nov. ,9, 1909.

Serial No. eraser.

' specification.

fire-box of the locomotive. the smoke escaping from the engine is dis-- This invention has reference to improvements in spark arresters and its object is to provide a means, especially, adapted to locomotive engines for preventing the escape of sparks blown out of the smoke stack and for preventing the loss of unburned portions of the fuel and for directing the same to the Furthermore,

charged at such a point as not to interfere with the vision of the locomotive engineman.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which is an elevation partially in section of a portion of slowmotiveengine with the spark arrester attached thereto, the said spark arr-ester being shown in longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a locomotive engine 1, only such parts being shown as are deemed necessary for the understanding of the present invention, and there isshown in section a portion of the fire-box 2. The locomotive engine may be of any desired type and the particular type shown in the drawing is to be taken as illustrative only.

To the smoke-stack 3 of the engine there is secured a curved conduit 4, this conduit rising from the Smokestack and curving gradually backward and is elevated above the boiler but a short distance, being supported adjacent to the smoke stack by a bracket 5 fast on top of the boiler. The extent to which the conduit 4 may rise above the to of the boiler will be determined by the height-of the tunnels and bridges along the line of way.

The conduit t extends backward over the provided with a discharge opening-covered by a suitable screen 8, the discharge being in an upward direction. This end of the conduit is supported by a suitable bracket. 9

fast on the top of the cab of the engine. Other supporting brackets are provided as needed.

As the conduit at approaches the cab of the engine it is increased in diameter to form a chamber 9 which chamber merges into a funnel 10 in communication with a small conduit 11 leading downward alongside the boiler and fire-box and finally entering the fire chamber 2 through a suitable opening 12 provided for the purpose.

In the chamber 9 there is located a slanting screen l't'fwhich screen it will be understood, extends entirely across the Width of the chamber 9 and the lower. end of the screen 13 is continued'by a solid diaphra m 14 slanted like the screen 13 and entering or a distance into the throat of the funnel 10.

At various points along the roof of the conduit 4 there areprovided curved baflles 15 and along the bottom of the conduit 4 between the end 7 and the chamber 9iare other baffles 16 each having however a passage 17 between the bafile l6 and the bottom of the conduit.

With a structure such as described the discharge from thesmokestack 3, which discharge not only contains smoke and gases of combustion but carries along with it burning masses of cinders or live coal and often times very material quantities of fine coal drawn from the fire chamber by the blast, is directed by the conduit 4 toward'the rear end of the engine and ultimately escapes through the discharge end 7 upwardly the same as occurs from the smoke. stack 3. On the movement of the smoke from the'smokestack along the conduit 4 certain portions of the Cinders or other solid matters carried by the discharge from the engine are caught by the battles 15 and because of the downward and rearward curve of these battles the larger materials carried b the discharge from-the engine are 'directe toward the bottom of'the conduit, and at this point the bottom of the conduit slopes downward t0- ward the funnel 10 so that these larger par- -ticles will naturally ravitate toward the funnel 10 and ultimate y find their way into the conduit 11 to be finally drawn into the tire chamber and resubmitted to the'action of the fire. Some particles however find their way to the screens 13 and are so large as to be unable to pass through this screen and are directed thereby toward the funnel 10, being assisted in this movement by the solid partition or diaphragm 14.

Since the smoke and gases have free passage through the screen 13 they will not tend to create a strong current around the lower end of the diaphragm or partition 14 and thus there is no strong current of gases to interfere with the gravitation of the arrested particles of solid matter into the funnel 10 and so through the conduit 11 into the fire chamber 2. Some ofthefiner'particles will find their way through the screen 13 since this screen must be of coarse enou h mesh not to interfere materially with t e free flow of the smoke and gases of combustion out through the conduit for otherwise there would be too much resistance to-the action of the blast creating the forced draft through the fire chamber 2.

In order to arrest any of'the smaller particles which may find their way through the screen 13 the bafiie plates l5.are continued between this screen and the voutlets 7 and these baffle plates tend to direct any such particles toward the bottom of the conduit 4: between the chamber 9 and the escape end of the conduit. Since gravity is constantly acting on these particles which may pass through the screen 13 the baffles 16 are provided on the bottom of the conduit which between the chamber 9 and the escape end 7 has a sli ht downward inclination toward the chamber 9. -The small spaces 17 below the bafiles 16 are provided to prevent interference with the gravitation of these particles along the slanting bottom of the conduit 4 from the escape opening '1' toward the chamber 9 and when they reach this chamber 9 the walls of the funnel 9 slope so quickly downward that the particles find an easy path into the conduit 11.

The screen 8-will prevent the escape of any particles which may have passed through the screen 13 and escape arrest by the battles l5 and 16.

What is claimed is 1. A spark arrester for locomotives comprising a conduit connected atone end to the smoke stackvof the locomotive and having an outlet at the other end and also at an intermediate point having another outlet leading from the under side of the conduit, a pervious screen in the conduit extending across the same above the intermediate outlet, deflectors or baffles in the conduit on the scene-a upper wall thereof on both sides of the screen, and other battles on the lower wall of the conduit between the screen and the outlet of the conduit at the end remote from the smoke stack.

2. A spark arrestcr for locomotives comprising a conduit leading from the smokestackto a point of discharge near the rear end of the locomotive, said conduit having at an intermediate point a funnel outlet toward which the bottom walls of the conduit slope, another conduit leading from the funnel to the fire-box of the locomotive, a slanting screen depending from the top of the first named conduit at a point coincident with the funnel outlet, and a non-pervions continuation of said screen entering the throat of the funnel.

A spark arrester for locomotives comprising a conduit leading from the smokestack to a point of discharge near the rear end of the locomotive, said conduit havingat an intermediate point a funnel outlet toward which the bottom walls of the conduit slope, another conduit leading from the funnel to the fire-box of the locomotive, a slanting screen depending from the top of the first named conduit at a point coincident with the funnel outlet, a non-pcrvious continuation of said screen entering the throat of the funnel, and deflectors or bafiics within the first named conduit.

4. A spark arrester for locomotives comprising a conduit leading from the smokestack to a oint oi discharge near the rear end of the ocomotive, said conduit having at an intermediate point a funnel outlet toward which the bottom walls of the conduit slope, another conduit leading from the funnel to the fire-box of the locomotive, a slanting screen depending from the top of the first named conduit at a point coincident.

with the funnel outlet, a non-porvious continuation of said screen at the throat of the funnel, deflectors or bafiles within the first named conduit on the upper wall thereof, and other bafiles on the lower wall thereof between the funnel and the discharge end of the conduit.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixcd my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELZIE L. RTDGlVAY.

Witnesses R. Knox,

SAM MoCoRo. 

